W2WF: Virginia Tech

Last season, Boston College traveled to Virginia Tech for its first game against the Hokies under Justin Fuente. The result was a 49-0 loss where Tech beat the Eagles in every facet of the game. The offense had 476 yards, evenly spaced between rushing and passing, with 25 first downs and 35 minutes of possession. Bud Foster's defense limited BC to six first downs and 124 total yards.

The loss left an indelible mark on Boston College. It remains fresh, and even though time moved on with other games, last year drives preparation in the film room and on the practice field.

"Every loss stings," head coach Steve Addazio said. "We went down there in a pretty hostile environment, and we got beat. Do I think you sit there and dwell on a game? No. It is what it is. You move forward. I think you learn from what you feel were mistakes that you may have made in that game. You grow from those kind of games. And you move forward."

The Boston College-Virginia Tech rivalry is built on those types of games. In 2006, the Eagles dominated the Hokies, 22-3. It kicked off a string of three straight regular season victories for BC, highlighted by the infamous 2007, Thursday night victory in Blacksburg. Despite the regular season dominance, Virginia Tech beat BC in back-to-back ACC Championships.

It created a unique rivalry defined by year-to-year experience. Addazio beat Virginia Tech in two close games in his first two years, including a 33-31 win in 2014. The Hokies rallied with two straight wins, including last year's shutout in 2016.

"We're playing against really good teams in tough, tough venues," the coach said. "Sometimes (big losses) can happen. You don't want it to, and you're not happy about it, but we went down there and played pretty poorly, especially on offense. So our goal is to learn from our mistakes. But dwell on them? No."

Football coaches typically don't talk about "revenge." Revenge clouds judgment and makes players emotional. Emotional players risk sloppier play, and victories usually come because teams avoid mistakes. So a team needs to avoid living in the past when it sets foot on the field. Everything requires laser focus, something the Eagles will need to beat Virginia Tech on Saturday night.

Here's what to watch for as the teams prepare for an ESPN2, national television audience.

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Weekly Storylines

Diaper Dandy

Virginia Tech's Josh Jackson didn't take long to establish himself as one of the ACC's premier signal callers. A redshirt freshman, he leads all Power Five rookies with 1,378 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's second best in passer rating behind Georgia's Jake Fromm, and he's fourth in the ACC in total offense. Only Lamar Jackson's 13 touchdown passes are more than the young Hokie.

"I think he's really talented," Steve Addazio said on the ACC weekly teleconference. "He's athletic. He obviously shows leadership. From what I can see on film, he's got good presence and he does not carry himself on tape like a redshirt freshman. He carries himself like an older player. I'm very impressed with him."

Jackson can tear defenses apart as a dual-threat quarterback. Scouting reports referred to him as athletically comparable to Ohio State's J.T. Barrett. With pocket presence and movement, he can run with the ball when he needs to. He has a quick release and can zip accurate throws.

Stopping Jackson is difficult but doable. He had virtually the same amount of passing yards against Clemson as he did against West Virginia, but the Tigers made him throw almost twice as often. If Jackson throws more passes, it plays into a defense currently No. 12 in passing defense nationally. BC is No. 10 with seven interceptions and is once again a feared unit thanks to a physical, pounding secondary.

Making him work harder is easier said than done, though. Forcing Jackson into passing attempts requires stopping the run, something he can anchor by himself. Earlier this year, he registered the first 100-plus yard rushing game by a Virginia Tech quarterback since 1987 and he became the first 200-yard passer, 100-yard rusher since Logan Thomas in 2013.

That ability augments a stable of thunder-and-lightning running backs. BC fans conceivably remember Travon McMillian, a 6-foot beast averaging five yards per carry over the last three years. With 191 yards on 38 carries, he has over 20 career touchdowns both receiving and rushing since debuting in 2015.

He runs with Steven Peoples, a 5-foot-9-inch, 220-pound bowling ball of a runner with good hands. After catching a 13-yard touchdown against Miami and tallying 135 all-purpose yards against Old Dominion, Peoples missed the Clemson game with an ankle injury but is listed on the Hokies depth chart for Saturday.

This Bud's for you

Bud Foster receives hype every time anyone plays Virginia Tech, and it's not without warranted merit. The Hokies are an annual defensive powerhouse consistently ranked in the top tier of the bowl subdivision. Over the past decade, only twice did it fall out of the top 25 teams with a lowest finish of No. 52.

"His defense has fluctuated a little bit over the years," Steve Addazio said of Foster's scheme. "Coverages (have) a little bit of front variation, but for the most part their standard defense, which is a four-down defense, has been pretty consistent. I think he does a great job of defending formations and defending plays and things like that. He's a real good coach, been proven over a long time."

It's a nasty defense buoyed by elite athletes. Tremaine Edmunds is 6 feet 5 inches and 250 pounds but possesses speed and tackle power. He's already on the same pace that produced 106 tackles last season, leading the 2017 Hokies with 42 tackles, including 18 solo. A Second Team All-ACC selection last year, he is on the watch list for virtually every possible award at his position.

He's joined by middle linebacker fifth-year senior Andrew Motuapuaka. After recording nine tackles against Clemson, he is well-established as the Hokies' second-leading tackler. His shorter and stockier frame perfectly complements Edmunds, making him the perfect middle linebacker in the defensive scheme.

"The defense is just relentless," Addazio said. "Just really, really powerful, talented players in Edmunds and Motuapuaka and Tim Settle. What a challenge they pose. Obviously very well-coached and obviously put together very well."

Virginia Tech is an elite defense and will force BC to become opportunistic. The Eagles dragged Clemson into the fourth quarter before the score got away; in a similar fashion, they have to be careful how they attack the Hokies. It has to be calculated, and the players and coaches need to identify when those opportunities cross their path.

Out Beamer "Beamer Ball"

Justin Fuente is in his second season, but Virginia Tech still has Frank Beamer's reputation on special teams. "Beamer Ball," the Virginia Tech emphasis on special teams, always well-timed a blocked punt or field goal, and kick coverages are an extreme source of pride.

The Hokies rank fourth in kickoff return defense and are No. 24 in net punting, putting them once again among the nation's best. But Boston College is in the top 50 teams in kickoff return defense and has seen an uptick in efficiency thanks to both Max Schulze-Geisthovel on kickoffs and Michael Walker on returns.

"Mike is a run-into-the-catch guy," Addazio said. "Good kickoff return guys can rock and run into the catch, so as they catch it, they're moving as opposed to a stationary catcher that has to start. That's what makes Mike really a good kick returner. Mike is more of a hit on the move guy. So those short punts that came at him like that, low trajectory, short, whatever played a little bit into his hands."

High, booming punts with hang time give coverage gunners ample time to get downfield and cover the runback. If they can get to the right spot, it forces a returner to call for a fair catch. Central Michigan used a rugby-style punter who kicked lower, bouncing balls at the returner to rely more on direction and bounce to gain yardage and limit damage if the gunners can't get to their spots. It's not that a high booming punt would've pinned the returner and marked him dead in the water; for some teams, it's the right scheme for their methodology.

Last Saturday, however, that played into Walker's strengths. He's unlikely to see the same style punt this week against Virginia Tech, especially given the Hokies' reputation on special teams. So he'll need to be more opportunistic this week and limit mistakes, then wait for his chance to make that runback.

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Meteorology 101

Welcome to autumn in New England. There's a daily crispness in the air, punctuating warm days with chilly nights. The leaves are changing colors, producing a rainbow effect on the drive throughout the region. It's the perfect time of year, and it's by far the best of the four seasons.

Temperatures on Saturday will be seasonably warm in the 70s before dipping down into the 60s at night. There's rain in the forecast for Sunday, so expect the night to draw increasing cloud cover. It's not supposed to rain during the game, but it'll still draw the humidity from the next day.

For what it's worth, this is going to be the best football weather of the year. The general heat is gone, but it's not quite going to be into the 50s like it will be during the week. Pack a sweatshirt and maybe bring a blanket to the game in case it feels colder. Otherwise just enjoy the season.

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Scoreboard Watching

Saturday is an exciting day in the conference with only one non-conference game, and even then, it's only against Notre Dame. That right belongs to North Carolina, which is hosting the Fighting Irish in Chapel Hill at 3:30.

The rest of the ACC is in conference action. Wake Forest proved itself worthy against Florida State though ultimately lost, 26-19, last week. This week, the Demon Deacons draw Clemson at noon in Death Valley. At 12:20, the other divisional game gets underway with Coastal foes Duke and Virginia kicking off in Charlottesville.

The other three ACC games this week represent classic rivalries. Pitt and Syracuse renew pleasantries in the Carrier Dome at 12:30, with Miami visiting Florida State at 3:30 in a game rescheduled after Hurricane Irma. The Eagles and Hokies carry the nightcap.

Louisville draws the bye this week before they host BC next weekend.

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Prediction Time/Pregame Zen

I think that part of building your team is trying to anticipate where your team is going and to a certain extent where, especially defensively, you have to react to what they put on the field. -Bill Belichick

After any Patriots loss, Bill Belichick always says some of the same things. When he talks about the different phases of the game, he talks about the need to coach better, practice better and play better. It's indiscriminate.

Last year, Virginia Tech delivered a huge blow to the Eagles with a 49-0 victory. It was the latest chapter in a relatively young rivalry. On that day, BC needed to play better, coach better and prepare better. For record purposes, a 49-point loss sat the same as a one-point, last-second loss; it was still just one loss.

But there's a learning moment where, like what Belichick does, a team irons out what happened and moves forward. Virginia Tech is an elite power, a nationally-ranked team almost at the level of where Clemson currently sits. Beating them requires preparation and improvement, something the Eagles have been doing all season long. If they can apply the lessons learned, they can take the next step.

After all, it's a primetime game between the Hokies and Eagles. What could possibly happen? Fans can listen to the action on WEEI 93.7 FM with pregame coverage beginning at 6:45 pm.

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